Can Cocoa Cure Dementia?
Recent studies have shown that cocoa promotes the functioning of brain in ageing people. In the University of Nottingham, England, experiments were conducted on ageing women by engaging them in complex tasks. When they were given cocoa high in flavanols, there showed an increase in blood flow to the brain.
Flavanol is an antioxidant found in cocoa that increases the blood flow. It works by dilating the blood vessels. So the medical practitioners believe that cocoa can be used to treat health conditions like stroke or dementia that are caused due to a decreased blood flow to the brain. Dementia causes a decline in the cognitive function of ageing people.
Chocolates and other cocoa products available in the market contain less flavanol as it makes the chocolate taste bitter. The report of a study conducted in Netherlands states that older men who ate a small bar of chocolate everyday showed low blood pressure.
Chocolates are well known to promote and maintain the cardiovascular health. But only those dark pure chocolates contain good amount of the antioxidant flavanoid that reduces blood clotting, reduces cell damage and improves the blood sugar level. Yet another study has found that cocoa even stops the spread of tumor cells. Flavanols are also found in some fruits and tea.